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Fullname: William George McGinnigle
aka: Willie McGinnigle, William McGinnigle
Born: 5 June 1892
Died: 11 Oct 1947
Birthplace: Paisley
Signed: 30 Sep 1918 (loan)
Position: Right-back
Debut: Celtic 3-1 Third Lanark, League, 30 Sep 1918
Internationals: none
Biog
Hibernian “dapper” right-back William McGinnigle was loaned to Celtic for a solitary game on 30th September 1918.
The Paisley-born played turned out for Celtic in a 3-1 league victory at home to Third Lanark.
His ‘loan’ had been necessary due to the absence of Alec McNair (injury) and Tommy McGregor (war work), and from the result he slotted in more than well. He played alongside fellow loanee Frank Kelly who was to sadly die in France while in the army the following year. Frank Kelly was part of the Kelly family who were part owners & ran Celtic.
Celtic regained the league that season from Rangers, winning the title by just one point, so Willie McGinnigle’s small contribution was in retrospect a valuable contribution to Celtic’s challenge. It also was the end of an era, as Celtic were to lose their hegemony of the Scottish scene which they had monopolised for much of the past twenty years.
On his return to Hibs, he carried on a long relationship with the club, playing for their first team for around eleven years to 1929, playing an incredible 333 games but just four goals. His other clubs included Cambuslang Rangers and Coleraine.
He and his Hibs team later faced Celtic in the Scottish Cup final of 1923, which was won by Celtic 1-0.
Another notable match was on 11th October 1919, when his Hibs side faced Celtic in a 7-3 defeat at Celtic Park, which must have been very demoralising for the defence he was playing in, albeit the Glasgow Herald report stated kindly that:
“Even such an inflated score of 7-3 in no way represents the relative merits of Celtic and Hibernians.”
Willie McGinnigle had previously served in the British Army Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders during the First World War and he was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and the Victory Medal. A highly impressive haul of wartime medals.
He passed away in 1947, and is buried in Hawkhead Cemetery Paisley.
Playing Career
| APPEARANCES | LEAGUE | SCOTTISH CUP | LEAGUE CUP | EUROPE | TOTAL |
| 1918 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 1 |
| Goals | 0 | 0 | – | – | 0 |
Honours with Celtic
Pictures
Links
A picture of William which was on a cigarette card or such like.
